Make SPAMMERS pay!

Make SPAMMERS pay! was Originally Posted on October 24, 2004 by lavarock

I know that SPAM is sent by evil people. I’m not talking about the occasional message sent to get me to try a product; I’m talking about the same company sending hundreds of messages to ME to try to get me to try a product.

A couple weeks ago they turned on the ROLEX spam. I cannot imagine that all of a sudden 20 companies would begin trying to sell me cheap Rolex watches, so I have to assume it is one company. Now why would that company think that by sending me 20 spams a day per mailbox is going to make me want to buy one. Do they think that if I see 20 messages I will think that cheap Rolex knockoffs are the new “IN THING” or “FAD” that is sweeping the nation, and I MUST get onboard now?

I dutifully report each message as SPAM but you know, these ISPs are so flooded with reports that little happens. The SPAM continues.

I had an idea a while back to fix the spam problem. I don’t think it is novel, but don’t think people are doing it. Start this up and I’ll sign up. Then you will become a millionaire.

Spam works because a company or individual can send email free; unlike the post office where the company must buy a stamp for each letter. This is similar to an Escrow account wherby a disinterested third party holds the money until the parties of the transaction either agree or disagree with the conditions.

How it would work:

Set up a company to process email. Set up a secure connection between yourself and me. That way I know that all my mail comes through you and someone cannot intervene and spoof you. I may have to pay a small fee for this service each month.

Now, anyone wanting to send me email must have an email account whereby they bought an electronic stamp or paid a bit of money into an account (like a prepaid phone card). When the email is received by me, I read it. If it is a regular email from someone I want to receive mail from, I do nothing. Their account is not debited. If the message was indeed spam, I click the “this was spam” message and the amount they paid for the stamp goes to my account as a credit. I just got paid to read spam. The company paid me to read their email. After a short while, the spammers will find that it does not pay to spam people who have not agreed to accept their info. If the message was interestinga nd I want to continue receiving offers, then I don’t report it as spam and no money leaves their account.

I may not have all the details worked out, but I think that any process wherby a spammer has to pay to send email would help. I personally do not mind having to pay a penny an email, because I don’t send out many emails. A business sending thousands of emails would consider the penny a cost of doing business.